Hearts Are Often Broken By Words Left Unspoken
by Hermitt
Summary: {He sits in his high-backed chair, watching and wishing she could have been his. Dreams flitter past his eyes, intangible and impossible to grasp.} This is a series of drabbles of lots of different pairings both canon and not. This is published as "complete" just for convenience and I am very open to pairing requests, as well :)
1. Platinum Dreams

This story is not affiliated with or endorsed by J. K. Rowling or any of her publishers or licensees. It does not imply or claim any rights to her characters or creations.

Harry Potter is a registered trademark of Warner Bros.

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He sat in his deep seated armchair, sipping his tea as he read his newspaper. The armchair reflected the man; proud, aristocratic and extravagant. His plain black robes were a far cry from his usual elegant wardrobe, however, reflecting his casual countenance. The common straight-backed posture the pureblood usually accommodated with his austere reserve was forgone in place of his seemingly relaxed and casual exterior. The paper was never incredibly interesting and worth his time, although it did wonders for the thoughtful and classic outward appearance he was displaying. He was not known to indulge in such a sit-down, reading the paper as he did, however this time he had good reason to.

The front page and first full section of the paper was dedicated to her and her fiancé. The feature was solely about them and there, smiling proudly and gaily from the front cover, waving at him almost mockingly, was the girl he had known with the bushy hair, and the weasel he had known as well. Her smile was breathtaking and so happy he almost allowed himself to quirk his lips. However, upon noticing the man standing next to her with his arms so lovingly draped around her figure, his brow knotted and his mouth quirked downward instead of the upward it had desired.

She should have been his, could have, if he hadn't been such a git. She was everything a witch should be and oh, if she had only been of pure blood would the world have been reckoned by the power and prestige. She had done fantastically for herself, of course, but at least if she had been of an old family, she could have been his. His grey eyes softened almost imperceptibly as he continued to gaze at her smiling face, a face that had so many times only held disgust, anger and loathing for him. Platinum blonde lashes fell to rest against crystal-white cheek as he closed his eyes and allowed his mind to replay for him each and every dream he had ever had of her being his; an impossibility but a dream nonetheless.

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Thanks for reading and if you're interested, this will probably change to a series of one shots based around the saying "hearts are often broken by words left unspoken". The pairings will be both canon and non-canon, unrequited love and both wanting it but denying themselves. If you have any suggestions for pairings or a scenario in mind, feel free to tell me and we'll see how we go. I'm really going to try and keep it drabble-length, too.

Until then,

Hermitt


	2. Change of Heart

It was in the moment she cried to the entire Great Hall to turn him over to the Dark Lord that she stopped to think. The support they showed him, the unsurmountable loyalty to him despite the danger to their lives that had nearly knocked her off her feet and had certainly knocked her breath straight from her lungs. The moment when they all surged to their feet to defend him had never been forgotten by her. She'd stared at them all in shock and slight fear that the mob would turn on her. After all, she was a Slytherin who openly agreed with the Dark Lord's ideals. Then she had been ordered from the Hall by the Mother Lioness herself and escorted with the rest of her fellow snakes by their Head of House out and away from the approaching battle. Somewhere in herself she regretted it.

Then the battle for the school and for the Light was over and so many people were dead. People she'd known, people she'd heard of, people she'd seen in passing and then those she'd never known existed. But he had won and people were happy again that their saviour had saved them all. All their years together yet apart at Hogwarts she'd sneered at and insulted him and his friends and in return they'd done the same, their favourite insult likening her to a squashed-faced dog. She knew he wasn't the saint they all likened him to be, but she knew, deep down, she revered him nonetheless.

She saw him at the Ministry, sometimes, so confident and happy and mature now. Even a little taller, too. But she glimpsed sadness sometimes, hidden behind those emerald eyes of his. They'd twinkle and glisten and shine and break her heart. He was still the one who had brought her illusion crashing down but she still felt warm when she saw or thought of him.

She allowed herself to smile when she was alone. Her friends, his friends and their whole society would never understand. And neither would he.

But she still smiled at the thought of her raven-haired saviour.

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A pairing request by _MrsMalfoy14_ and I did like this one. The last pairing was kind of obviously Hermione/Draco, but can you guess this couple? Do tell if there's a pairing you like, though, and I'll see what I can do.

Take care,

Hermitt


	3. All Smiles Tonight

He stood atop the alter in all his finery. His eyes were lively and although he was not bouncing in anticipation where he stood, it was apparent to all that was what he wanted to do. Those mercury eyes of his were trained on the great holly doors, watching and waiting for them to open, as was everyone else. His hands were held tightly in front of him as he clearly restrained himself from fiddling with his robes one more time. Although his face was adorned with a smirk, it held none of the malice it so often had, instead an anticipation and joy he would only experience once in his lifetime.

The doors opened and the bride stepped in. She glided up the flower-lined aisle, over the petal-laden floor, up the carpeted stairs and to where her future husband waited. The young woman glowed in all her white splendour, lighting up the room with her smile. But it was his smile that held her attention, that man marrying her sister. His face, too, was glowing, and his platinum blonde hair shone as brightly as the bride in white, both their smiles full of joy. They still managed to keep their expressions small, secret, and only for each other, though; they were Slytherins to the core.

Watching them take their vows, it was clear to see that her sister loved him and he loved her. She would begin expounding from her choking throat how it was unfair, how she'd known him longest and should be the one standing up there with him, hand-in-hand, but she didn't, because she loved them both. So she smiled instead and pretended her tears were a result of happiness and not her heart breaking into a million pieces.

She loved them both too much to do anything else.

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Okey dokey, then. Last pairing was dear old Pansy Parkinson and Harry Potter. Kind of obvious, but I thought I'd give you a break from guessing _too_ hard. Now, do spill on your thoughts of this pairing. Come on, I really do get so much traffic for this story and yet so few reviews! Come on, people, I know you're reading; where's your love?

Okay then, also feel free to share a pairing request!

Take care and do review. I'll love you forever if you do ;)

(And it lets me know you actually appreciate the time I'm putting into this. Come on, it's all for you!)

Hermitt

P.S. Let me know if you understood the reference in the chapter-title. Or am I the only one? :)


	4. Brown Eyes

The weather was fair as the sun shone brightly in the cloudy blue sky, the fluffy cumulus softening the picturesque scene. Although the pitch was dotted with the blues and reds of the rival Houses, he sat amongst a forest of green and silver. The shouts and cheers of his fellow Housemates, supporting any side but the lions, surrounded him and knocked him like an aggressive current, throwing him this way and that as he attempted to stay afloat. His sepia-coloured hair did not stick out in the crowd, though his olive skin did, a testament to his heritage. It was the Gryffindor team he watched now, though, carefully searching for one in particular he had only just lost sight of.

Even from such a far distance, sitting in the Slytherin stands, he could once more make out her halo of fire as it whipped around her face, even despite its tie. He couldn't help but think he'd be much gentler if he got to touch her face. The captain of the Gryffindor team was famously serving detention this match and to compensate they'd shuffled their players around like a deck of cards. He followed her course across the pitch like an enraptured disciple, though his dark brown eyes remained impassive as he sat amongst his fellow snakes.

She was beautiful, but she was a Gryffindor and it was obvious to anyone with eyes hers were only for her captain. Not all, she was also a blood traitor and although he struggled to stay neutral, he knew she would accept nothing less than a champion of the light. He would watch her and so watch him, the one who held her heart and didn't even know it. But he could see in the Gryffindor's face that she was starting to hold his too. Her brown eyes, lighter than his own, were never far from the green, the same as his were never far from her.

She blew past him like a rocket, hunting the snitch as her lioness-self demanded. Her expression was fierce, he saw, in those brief seconds she flew so near, and his heart stuttered out an unsteady beat. Her hair struck out behind her like a fiery blaze and he couldn't stop his longing, mournful sigh, swallowed by the cries, shouts and catcalls of his Housemates.

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Longer than I wanted, but I don't want to cut anything out of this. Again, I'm open to pairing requests and if you have a specific idea in mind, feel free to tell me. So this pairing was also requested and thus dedicated to the lovely _MrsMalfoy14_. Also, the last pairing happened to be (_drumroll please!_) the lovely Daphne Greengrass and Draco Malfoy. Can you guess this pair, though? We'll see how many of you can get the right answer, eh? I did leave – somewhat subtle, I suppose – clues. Good luck!

Hermitt


	5. The Cowardly Lion

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a head of bushy hair flee the Common Room and the cheering crowd. It was only like an afterthought, however, as his main focus was on the lip-locked couple in front of him. He stood frozen for a moment, watching the pair sloppily exchange saliva and felt sick. No one would notice if he left, so with his heart in his throat the sensitive, overlooked and underestimated sixth year dashed up to his dormitory.

He felt tears sting his eyes and hated himself for it. He was always the weak one, always the scared one, always the one to be overlooked and underestimated, though was it really underestimation if it was true? The boy – young man – was constantly plagued with self-doubt, especially over his House placement. What had that Hat been thinking, placing him amongst the courageous lions, when all he was, was cowardly? It was cruel, was what it was. And now he had to be witness to that blonde hair he adored clash with the ginger. But they were friends. He had so few friends he didn't dare do anything to jeopardise those relationships.

He sat on his four-poster bed and allowed his head to fall to his hands. He knew that head of bushy hair was feeling what he felt now, but she didn't know she did. He'd been pining for that herb-named girl of his year for months now, but never once had she looked his way. He wouldn't tell her, though, not when she was now so enamoured with his quidditch keeper friend. He could have told her sooner, before it all, if he'd been brave enough. But he was a cowardly Gryffindor, a cowardly lion, bringing shame to his House, his family name, his Gran and his parents. He only ever brought shame. What girl could like him?

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A _lot_ longer than I wanted, I admit. I could cut easily, but I don't want to. Not my best one, but oh well. So, last pair? Blaise Zabini and Ginny Weasley. Hooray! Now, I command you via the Imperius, to REVIEW!

Bye-bye, lovelies, and take care!

Hermitt


	6. Repeat Surrender

They were dancing away, another couple in the crowd. Her eyes were sparkling as he twirled her and the pair was laughing like the old friends they were. It was a familiar dance, the pair of them together. After all, it was less than three years prior they'd done the exact same thing. Her hair was as tamed as it had been that night as it twirled with her body and his large frame dwarfed her yet remained secure and gentle.

But there, her brown eyes glanced away again. It was not as though she wasn't enjoying his company – he knew she was – it was just painfully obvious to him whose company she would prefer. It had been the exact same at the ball. He'd asked her because she was the only one he could see who wasn't impressed by his quidditch career and broody good looks. She was studious, modest and quiet. But she was such a lively conversationalist once she was comfortable and they got past their language barrier.

Now she twirled and whirled, in his opinion glowing at the wedding as brightly as the bride. He cared for the bride, to be sure – they were good friends, after all – but he cared more deeply for the brunette aching for another. He would have knocked some sense into the ginger for being so stupid if it wouldn't bring them together sooner. It was inevitable, of course. The ginger was watching them so jealously yet oblivious to how she'd glance his way.

They finished their dance and the foreigner let her go with a smile while his heart cracked just that little bit and his eyes watched as she retreated to the other once more.

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Aw, sad face. Right, last pair: Neville Longbottom and Lavender Brown and the biggest congratulations to _MirDeeDee_ for guessing correctly! I have no idea what inspired me to do that couple in particular, but I figure, although Neville is Neville and therefore amazing, it makes sense for each boy in his year to go through some phase of attraction to that often unfavourably stereotypical young lavender lady.

But do guess away! This one isn't too hard. Should I make the clues harder to pick up, maybe? I don't want to make things _too_ difficult for you, though…

Anyway, leave a review and a pairing request if you have one. I love getting those. Gives me incentive to write more and write it straight away, which I have been doing with all the pairings I've been getting. They may not appear straight away but they are certainly written.

Review!

And take care,

Hermitt


	7. Family History

Her eyes strayed once more to the young man once such a bitter rival of her brother-in-law. It was chance, really, that she saw him in Diagon Alley. She was supposed to be at the Manor today for lunch with her newlywed sister and her husband but had owled ahead late to acquire them another gift. She loved to spoil her little sister, after all. Passing by the Prophet, however, she couldn't help but notice the bright orange head paired with the black, laughter spilling gaily from their throats as they exited the building. She kept walking and her eyes remained guarded, but out of her peripheral vision she couldn't help but follow them.

Her brother-in-law would have walked from them with a ramrod straight back, she was well aware. The men had a cold, complicated history. Hell, she'd been witness to it in school. For six years they'd fought, competed against and despised one another. They were a contrast. He was the paragon of all that was light and her brother-in-law had himself entrenched so deeply he couldn't help but represent the opposite. But the brunette's adherence to all that was good despite it all had always moved her. She couldn't despise him, she didn't want to, and she knew her new family couldn't completely despise him anymore, either.

She noticed him and his wife disappear inside a store and couldn't help the sad feeling from entering her heart. Perhaps it was misplaced gratitude that left her with the faintest feelings of possessiveness when she saw the couple hold hands, but she didn't bother trying to squash it. Why did she even feel this possessiveness? She shook her blonde head; she didn't know. Maybe it was gratitude again, this time for her sister who married a better man because the other that had been responsible for most of his darkness was now dead at the wand of the paragon. She loved her sister and her sister loved her husband. Her husband still didn't like him, though.

But she did, even though she knew he loved another.

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So last little mini was a Viktor Krum/Hermione Granger short. I hope you liked this one, though, and to give you a clue, it's one of the more popular pairings on here. The non-canon ones, that is. I wonder how much you liked this one. It was yet another requested by _MrsMalfoy14_. Let me know! Though I must say, I get so many hits on this. Care to show that in some more reviews? And until the next,

Hermitt

Remember to request a pairing if you have any in mind! Even if it's one that we've already had, I'm happy to give one more a go in a different scenario or from the other person's point of view :)


	8. By My Side

She stood before the mirror and stared at her own eyes. She knew the people had arrived, that they were eagerly awaiting her grand entrance, but one person she wanted there, to stand with her, wasn't. She stood isolated in her private room and saw the sheen appear over her green eyes. But as she stood, a picture of auburn-haired perfection, waiting to walk down the aisle to her love, she missed her former best friend.

She wasn't kidding herself, though. He'd chosen his path in life and it was a dark one. But she missed the boy he used to be. He was such a sad sight the first time she'd seen him when he jumped from behind the bushes and accused her of witchcraft. He'd been right, of course, and he really did look quite sad and very surly most of the times she'd seen him, but sometimes he wasn't and those were the times she'd cherished most. Then he'd lost his temper and she'd lost hers, sick of his behaviour, his "friends", and his double standards and attitude. He was her friend and he'd hurt her, so she'd lashed back out.

Standing in her wedding dress and watching herself in the mirror wasn't enough of a distraction from the knocking on her door by her maid of honour, though. With a sigh and a bright smile then adopted on her face, she gathered her courage and walked to the door.

As she said "I do", however, she couldn't help but wish her surly Slytherin was present to wish her well.

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This one is quite the obvious one so I expect each and every one of you to review with the correct answer ;) Also, the last pair happened to be dear Daphne Greengrass and Harry J. Potter, the little player. He does get around in these stories, doesn't he?

Until the next, dear readers,

Hermitt.


	9. Shed A Tear

Not for the first time, she cried. Her tears poured thickly down her cheeks as her throat choked on nothing at all except the intangible feelings of hurt, loss, jealousy and anger. Right in the middle of the Common Room they latched onto each other like the spit they traded was their only source of hydration. It was disgusting, it was improper, and hell if it wasn't what she wanted to do with him. There was his stupid face, his stupid hair, his stupid eating habits and then her stupid feelings. She bloody well liked him long before he became some big quidditch star, anyway.

He was special to her, long before he saved a few goals in that senseless, dangerous game. His special face, his special hair, his especially confronting eating habits and yet she was still completely invisible. She was the best friend, "one of the boys" and so on. Maybe she should take the advice she gave his sister and play the field a bit but ooh, she wanted to make him feel what she was now so badly.

She wanted him to hurt, she wanted him jealous, she wanted him angry and she wanted him to like her in that way people did. Why did she have to fall for the most oblivious person she'd ever met? For all his positive traits, he had the emotional range of a teaspoon and she'd certainly told him so.

But he was _her_ teaspoon. But he was locking lips with _that_ bimbo. But she was crying her eyes out over a complete idiot and she knew she shouldn't but she was.

Why did she have to fall for the thickest of the bunch?

* * *

Last pair was quite obviously dear Lily Evans-about-to-be-Potter and Severus Snape, that dastardly dungeon master. Man, I love him. And don't like him. It's a complicated relationship.

So, this pairing is one of the obvious ones, too, so I expect no wrong answers in your reviews as to the identity of the characters, yes? Though I must say, for all it was requested, the last chapter and pairing received no reviews. A bit disappointed, but I will tell you the same pairing but reversed perspectives will be coming. Does that tempt you some?

Have a fantastic week, dear ones!

Hermitt


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